the following arrived in email. Anyone remember this, or recall a link on the net to it? I cannot confirm this, but if true, well, it is something to think about, huh?

ANYONE REMEMBER THIS? IT WAS 1987!

At a UNC lecture the other day they played an old video of Lt. Col. Oliver North testifying at the Iran-Contra hearings during the Reagan Administration.

There was Ollie in front of God and country getting the third degree. But what he said was stunning!

He was being drilled by some senator; "Did you not recently spend close to $60,000 for a home security system?"

Ollie replied, "Yes I did sir."

The senator continued, trying to get a laugh out of the audience, "Isn't this just a little excessive?"

"No sir," continued Ollie.

"No? And why not?" the senator asked.

"Because the lives of my family and I were threatened sir."

"Threatened? By whom?" the senator questioned.

"By a terrorist, sir." Ollie answered.

"Terrorist? What terrorist could possibly scare you that much?"

"His name is Osama bin Laden sir." Ollie replied.

At this point the senator tried to repeat the name, but couldn't pronounce it, which most people back then probably couldn't. A couple of people laughed at the attempt.

Then the senator continued. "Why are you so afraid of this man?" the senator asked.

"Because sir, he is the most evil person alive that I know of," Ollie answered.

"And what do you recommend we do about him?" asked the senator.

"Well, sir, if it were up to me, I would recommend that an assassin team be formed to eliminate him and his men from the face of the earth."

The senator disagreed with this approach and that was all that was shown of the clip

[End quote]

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2001

Answers

That must be some fantastic security system, eh?

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2001

Yep, that came up not too long ago on Fox. North is a guest commentator on Fox and also has some sort of old battles show around 8 pm. Can't recall if it's every night or not.

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2001

Surely he wasn't the only one threatened in those days (and what did North have to do with OBL?).

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2001

I believe that came up on tb2k a bit ago and it was found to be one of those internet rumors. I would sure love it if it wasn't. monkeyface

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2001

Hmm. Looks as if I misremembered.

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/ollienorth-osama.htm

Oliver North Warned of the Terrorism of Osama Bin Laden during the Iran-Contra Hearings in 1987-Fiction!

Summary of eRumor: Oliver North allegedly told a congressional hearing that he had installed a security system in his home because of threats to his family by Osama Bin Laden.

The Truth: According to the Congressional Record, there was no mention of Osama Bin Laden during the Iran-Contra hearings by Oliver North or anyone else. In fact, there was no mention of Osama Bin Laden in the Congressional Record at all in 1987, the year of the hearings.

One of the charges against North at that time, however, was his accepting a security system for his home as a gift. He said he needed it because of threats against himself and his family by Palestinian terrorist Abu Nidal.

Paul Bedard whose column WASHINGTON WHISPERS appears on USNEWS.com contacted North who confirmed that he never referenced Bin Laden who, in fact, became a friend of the U.S. against Soviet invaders of Afghanistan.

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2001

thanks MF and OG for dispelling that one.

-- Anonymous, November 29, 2001

The clue should have been that noone else could pronounce OBL.

The favored versions in these parts are "HisMomma Bin Laden" and "Osama NeverBin Laden".

See, not hard at all!

-- Anonymous, November 29, 2001

...which most people back then probably couldn't.

The article only mentions that the senator had a hard time saying it and assumes that others couldn't.

And these days you'd think that everyone, second graders and up, would know how to spell Taliban and OBL's name, and yet there are alternative spellings in major publications in this country.

-- Anonymous, November 29, 2001

I heard Caspar Weinberger this morning saying 'Osooma.'

Different spellings result because the actual sound of the vowels is different in Arabic. It's kinda like the French "u." You say that by making an O shape with your mouth and trying to say "ee" with your lips still in the O position. There, wasn't that fun? Well, the Arabic sound for I is between the I in bit and the E in steep. The O in Arabic is somewhere between the O in mole and the U sound in hoot. One's native language or variation thereof determines the spelling. It's why you see the Libyan guy's name spelled differently, sometimes with a G, sometimes with a K, sometimes ending in I, sometimes in Y.

-- Anonymous, November 29, 2001